Jefferson County Arrest Records

Jefferson County 24 hour booking records are handled by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Monticello, Florida. The sheriff runs the county jail and maintains an online inmate search where you can look up current bookings. You can also submit public records requests through the sheriff's website. The office phone number is 850-997-2523, and the jail line is 850-997-2023. Florida law makes booking records open to the public at no cost.

Jefferson County Booking Records and Inmate Search

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search on its website. This portal shows current inmates at the county jail. You can look up people by name and see their charges, booking dates, and other standard details. The tool is free. No account is required. It works on any device.

Jefferson County is one of the smaller counties in Florida. It is in the Big Bend region between Tallahassee and the coast. The county does not see the high volume of bookings that bigger places do, but the same rules apply. Every arrest creates a record, and every record is public. The online search tool gives you direct access to that data without having to call or visit the office.

For real-time info, call the jail at 850-997-2023. In a small county, the phone staff can usually give you an answer fast. They can confirm if someone was booked, tell you the charges, and let you know about bond. If the person you are looking for is not on the online portal yet, calling is the best backup.

How to Request Jefferson County Arrest Records

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has a reports and public records requests page on its website. You can submit requests for arrest reports, booking sheets, and other documents through this portal. This is useful when you need a formal copy of a record rather than just the info shown in the inmate search. The office processes requests under Florida's public records law and may charge a small fee for copies.

Under Section 119.07 of the Florida Statutes, booking records are public. The sheriff must provide access to anyone who asks. You do not need to give a reason. The online search tool and the records request page are two different ways to get the data you need. The search tool is for quick lookups. The records request page is for when you need official documents.

Below is a look at the Jefferson County Sheriff's reports and public records requests page.

This page walks you through the process of requesting records from the sheriff's office.

Jefferson County Jail and the Booking Process

When someone is arrested in Jefferson County, they are taken to the jail at 171 Industrial Park in Monticello. This is where all bookings happen. Officers record the person's name, date of birth, and physical description. A photo is taken. Fingerprints are collected. Charges are entered into the system. The result is a booking record that goes into the public file.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county. Monticello Police Department handles the city of Monticello. Both agencies book people through the same jail. This means one search covers all arrests in the county, no matter which agency made the arrest. You do not have to check separate systems.

The right to communicate after booking is protected by Section 901.243 of Florida law. Anyone booked into the Jefferson County jail can make phone calls within a reasonable time frame after the booking process.

Contacting the Jefferson County Sheriff

The main number for the sheriff's office is 850-997-2523. For jail questions specifically, call 850-997-2023. The office is at 171 Industrial Park in Monticello, FL 32344. You can visit in person to request copies of booking records or get info that is not available online.

Under Section 119.011, booking data is a public record in Florida. The sheriff's office may charge for copies, but looking at the data online or in person is free. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office website has contact info, service details, and links to the inmate search and records request tools.

Below is the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office main website.

The site is the starting point for any booking lookup or public records request in Jefferson County.

Jefferson County Records and Public Access Rights

Florida's Sunshine Law makes government records open to the public. Booking data is covered by this law. When someone is arrested and booked in Jefferson County, the record is public from that point. You do not need to be a county resident. You do not need a reason for your search. The data is available to everyone.

Sealed or expunged records will not appear in the inmate search. Juvenile cases are handled differently and stay off the public roster. Certain details may be withheld under Section 119.071, which covers specific exemptions. But for adult bookings in Jefferson County, the records are open and accessible.

A booking record does not mean a conviction. It shows an arrest occurred and what the charges were. The court system handles everything after that. Charges get dropped. Cases end in acquittals. The booking record remains, but it should not be taken as proof that someone committed a crime.

For searches that go beyond Jefferson County, the FDLE Criminal History portal lets you run statewide checks. That service costs $24 per search as set by Section 943.053. The FDLE main website has more details on what is available.

Cities in Jefferson County

Monticello is the county seat and the only incorporated city in Jefferson County. It is a small community in the Big Bend area. No cities in the county have populations large enough for their own page. All arrests from anywhere in Jefferson County are processed at the county jail in Monticello, and the booking records are in one central system.

Nearby Counties

Jefferson County borders several counties in the Big Bend region of Florida. If you are unsure where someone was arrested, check the neighboring counties listed below.